Sen.Ted W. Lieu Praises Texas Ban on Children Using Tanning Beds

Sen. Ted W. Lieu of Torrance, author of California’s first-in-the-nation law banning youths under age 18 from indoor tanning beds, today released the following statement in response to Texas’ new law:

“As a parent of two children, I’m heartened to see Texas join California in taking steps to ensure our children are better protected from the proven cancer-causing effects of tanning beds,” Lieu said about Texas measure Senate Bill 329, which became law last Friday without the governor’s signature. The measure takes effect Sept. 1. “I urge parents and policymakers nationwide to also adopt similar legislation to protect their children.”

Like Lieu’s law, known as SB 746, which took effect Jan. 1, 2012, the Texas law bans children under the age of 18 from using UV-emitting tanning beds and won bipartisan support. Other jurisdictions that have recently emulated California’s law include Vermont and Chicago.

In addition to a national ban on indoor UV tanning, Lieu said the next step would be for the Federal Trade Commission to heed his call from last January to order a ‘shell’ group to halt its false statements on the dangers of indoor tanning.

Lieu said the FTC, in May 2010, ordered the Indoor Tanning Association to stop making false and misleading statements about the alleged safety of indoor tanning. Earlier this year, however, a purportedly ‘new’ industry group called the American Suntanning Association began making the same, exact false and misleading statements originally barred by the FTC.

“The indoor tanning industry should not be able to escape the FTC’s order simply by changing names,” Lieu said. “This is especially blatant when the new group is actually composed of many of the same members as the ITA.”

For more, including a Fact Sheet on SB 746 and links to media coverage on this issue, visit Lieu’s Website.

Ted W. Lieu chairs the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee and represents the more than 1.3 million residents of Senate District 28, which includes the cities of Beverly Hills, Carson, El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Lomita, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Torrance, West Hollywood and the Palos Verdes Peninsula as well as portions of Long Beach and Los Angeles including, Beverly Glenn, Brentwood, Cheviot Hills, Harbor City, Hollywood Hills, Marina del Rey, Mar Vista, Pacific Palisades, Playa del Rey, San Pedro, Venice, Westwood and Wilmington. See a district map HERE: For more, visit www.senate.ca.gov/lieu.